The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-10-06
POISON IN HER TEA.
A Prina Donna's Adventure in a Queer
Establishment.


A Prima Donna's Adventure in a Queer
Establishment.
when / first went to Europe" said
Nine Nevada to New York Mail cor
respondent the other day, Il studied
for three years in Vienna, and for the
first few months / boarded with
woman who took advantage of my in
experience to impose on me in every
way possible; in fact, | paid a very
high price and was almost starved.
As think of that place now it makes
me shudder. The mother was a per-
feet old hag, who went about the
house in ragged old petticoat, with
black hair tumbling down over her
face and shoulders in an untidy mass,
and a pair of rats eyes peeping out at
you from among the yellow wrinkles.
Really, the things that used to take
place in that family are incredible.
There were two grown-up daughters,
and | would sometimes enter the par
lOr and find one of them sitting quietly
under the piano, doing nothing, ap-
paTently, and often | would be
awakened at night by strange sounds,
mems voices, threats, and oaths. l
was only ID years old at the time, and
was too timid or unsuspicious to say
anything about this, but the worst
thing of ell was food which they gave
me. There was only one kind of meat,
and that | had never been able to eat.
1t was pork. | was ashamed to COM
plain, but would cover the piece on
my plate with potatoes or bread, and
leave the table almost famished. This
went on for some weeks, until finally
became so pale and weak that my
teacher noticed the change and asked
me about it. | told him how it was,
and he said that l must 90 home at
once and order some proper food.
Well, at last | screwed up my courage
and one day said to the servant that
| had to sing to a concert that night,
and wished her to cook me a beefsaeak
and bring it to my room. The old
woman happened to be out at the time,
so 1 succeeded in getting the steak,
and | assure you | ate it rayenously.
Then | started off for the concert con-
graduating myself on having managed
the thing so well. However, | had no
woman came hobbling up to me,
seized me by the arm, forced me into
corner, and commenced abusing and
insulting me in the most abominable
way. | was so terrified that | forgot
my timidity and managed in some way
to tear myself from her, and to rush to
my room, where | bolted the door, and
then sank down on the floor in hyster-
les. Finally grew calmer and began
to think out what had better do. 1t
was already past midnight. but / COM
menced packing up my things at once,
resolved to leave the house at day.
break. At about ) o'clock in the
morning | fell asleep from sheer eX-
haustion, and dreamed that saw the
old hag standing by the stove in the
kitchen making some tea. | followed
each one of her movements and at last
saw her fill a cup from the teapot and
carry this in her hand to the cupboard.
There she reached to high shelf and
took down a bottle marked poison
from which she poured few drops in
to the cup. Then she put the bottle
away carefully and came upstairs to
my room, carrying the tea and knocked
at the door.
''At this point awoke with an awful
fright. and at once looked at my clock;
it was just 6, and the day was breaking
rarose, bathed my face, and was about
to resume my packing when there
came knock at my door. L asked
who was there, and high, piercing
voice, which | recognized only too
well, replied: 1T is |, my dear. !
have brought you a cup of tea;
open the door 1t is needless to say
that | did not do it. She continued
knocking. and begging me to let her
in, but of course | refused. Then she
threatened me, and poured forth the
foulcst language | have ever heard,
and at last she came back to persuasion,
saying, and | can never forget her
words, i am here on my knees like a
dog, and | implore you only to taste
this tea which have for you
"Y on can imagine what state L
was in by this time. l was perfectly
desperate, and, after waiting for two
or three hours listening and hardly
daring to breathe, l cautiously opened
my door and made rush for the street.
There were three flights of stairs to
descend, and at the bottom of the
second one | met the old woman, glar-
ing at me like fiend. ] don't know
how did it, but in some way I was
given the strength to push her out of
my way, and l escaped, leaving her
stretched at full length on the floor"
and what happened after thatp" l
asked.
80, simply got an officer to 60
there and carry off my things. Of
course, l had no interest in putting
the woman in prison or anything of
that sort; but don't you call that case
of supernatural warningP"